A trip to the dentist’s office could be costing you more than you think, and while the majority of dentists are not scammers, as in any field, there are a group of bad apples.
Linda Karimi is a spokesperson for the Better Business Bureau of San Diego.
“We have seen outrageous consumer complaints about outrageous practices in terms of dentistry. That is why it is important to research,” she said.
Last year alone, Karimi said San Diego’s BBB received more than 6,500 inquires about dental companies and their practices and investigated nearly 260 complaints.
According to Karimi, the most common issues have to do with improper billing.
“[They] will bill you something that was not performed. For example, a root canal and then add a deep cleaning and several x-rays,” she said.
Performing unnecessary procedures is also a common complaint.
“The dentist is going to perform a filling or root canal, when actually you are perfectly healthy, just to be able to hike to be able to hike the insurance billings,” said Karimi.
Those kinds of procedures can max out dental benefits which causes patients to pay more out of pocket.
A quick online search can help turn up countless threads and comments about patients possibly being scammed.
Some said patients said they typically trust their bill is correct and don not question anything.
“Call your insurance. Ask questions. It is very important. Don’t be afraid. It is called smart consumerism,” said Karimi.
Karimi also said patients should keep their receipts to make sure their bill is coded for the correct procedures and always ask the dentist to thoroughly explain the costs in case of uncertainty.
In case of several expensive procedures, patients can ask the dentist for an estimate from the insurance company ahead of time – to help know exactly what will be billed and prevent any unexpected bills.